The Portland daily press., 1887-05-07
A MAINE cRGsUs.
Some of the Rich Men Of Bangor,
Past and Present.

Bangor Letter to Lewiston Journal
The death of Hon. S. Fl. Blake, removes
from the eastern section of the State, its
richest citizen. 1t has started train OF
speculation regarding the BLAKE estate"
and turned the flow of small talk towards
the men, past and present, who, here in
Eastern Maine, have accumulated one mil
lion dollars and upwards. This sum is a
large one, it is true, but if one attempts to
count our millionaires upon their finger ends
they'll find the men of money outnumber the
markers. Strange to say, all of them have
derived their large wealth from timber lands
and operations" thereon, and this will ae-
count for the fact that they are not as well
known to the busy business world, as are the
men who build mills, railroads, steamboats,
and form large corporations All poor in the
beginning, they all knew the disadvantages
OF poverty and the advantages Of controlling
wealth, and in the great struggle for the lat
ter, learned early the advantages Of conceal
ing, as much as they could, the amount of
their possessions. Said one:
Whenever make a thousand, keep it to
myself, for the reason that If it becomes
known, my neighbors are envious. When |
not be injured"
mere, perhaps the most prominent was Gen.
samuel Veazie. This gentleman left an es-
tate valued at one and one-quarter millions.
Unlike many of the others, he invested mon
ey In new enterprises, having, at one time, a
railroad in operation between Oldtown and
Bangor. This was one of the first railroads
In America, the locomotive having been
brought from England. He afterwards es
tabllshed the VeaZie Bank. from which the
well known Veazie scrip was issued during
the late civil war. Another wealthy citizen
was ex-Congressman Hersey, who left large
estate, some say valued at two millions.
However that may be, it is certain that the
helrs realized that amount, for there were in
vestments in western lands, particularly
about Minneapolis and st. Paul, which have
doubled and trebled in value
Then there was Henry Prentiss, who. like
the rest, was largely engaged in lumber OPP
eratl0ns, owning whole townships some Of
which still remain in the family and are
known as "Prentiss' towns" This gentle-
man was reported to be worth a round mil
lion, to which his heirs have added. General
Strickland left property that realized over
one million, and in the laying Of the founda-
tion for this fortune some interesting stories
are told. 1t appears that years ago, say in
1906 and previous, spruce and hemlock lands
were considered nearly worthless, pine being
the only thing sought for by the lumbermen.
vi the two hundred millions of lumber that
came to the booms in 1856, fully one hundred
and sixty millions were clear pine. About
this time, or before, the State offered large
tracts OF land, and of this Strickland
bought several townships, paying from sew
enty-tve cents to one dollar an acre. These
townships were six miles square and there
lore cost the buyer from eighteen to twenty
two or three thousand dollars each. The
payments were to be made in three INSTALL
ments, and General Strickland, firm in the
belief that spruce and hemlock would come
into general use, made his first payment
eheerfully. Time rolled away and the sec
ond payments were met, but still there was
no call for spruce and hemlock. Indeed,
the mills along the Penobscot were fitted
Tor saving pine only, and suggestion of
running in the Insignificant lumber mention
ed, would have been treated with derision.
FINALLY came time for the third payment and
Strickland could not meet it. Proceeding to
Augusta, he sought out the committee on
public lands, and to them related his situa-
ton. He stated that to insist on payment
meant tc ruin him, and freely offered to give
up all he had paid in and waive all claims,
providing the State would release him. To
insist on payment was to swamp him finan-
cially. About this time others in like situa-
tions came in, and it was finally determined
to leave the whole matter to the legislature,
and Strickland returned home quite low in
spirits. However, the legislature thought,
1nasmuch as they had a customer for the
lands, they would hold him, but concluded
to extend the time Of payment, which they
did. Soon after there came a call for the
spruce and .id nIe1mlock, which grew each year,
until the "Old General" could hold his head
among the upper rims of the financial cir
cles.
Another man died few years ago who left
an estate valued at over one million, and the
"Stetson heirs" have been considered ever
since as rich people. His money came
through the increase Of real estate. His
uncle, who owned about one hundred acres
Of land in what is now the heart of Bangor,
died, leaving no children, but about twenty
five heirs at law. Stetson bought them all
out for the sum of $4,000. Roderck Hill
left an estate. timber lands and real estate,
which was then worth $500, 900 but is now
said to be valued at over one million dollars.
But the life of the late Hon. s. II. Blake
well illustrates the fact that energy and
prudence, when combined with ability, will
bring pecuniary success in Maine as well as
in Wall street. Here was q man, who, in
company with his brother, started out in life
to make their fortunes. William opened
grocery store, while Samuel took up the
separate interests, but common pocket
book Both the practice of law and the bust
ness at the store thriyed wonderfully. They
had happy faculty Of keeping their bust
ness secrets to themselves, and thus quiet
ly went along, always on the lookout for
bargains. When William died. no attempt
was made to divide the two estates, now
worth a round million, but Edward, the son
Of William, at once took position as conf
dental man in the Office of his uncle, and
the process of accumulating went steadily
on. For years, as president of the bank,
Samuel kept accounts and transacted his
business in fictitious names, thus preventing
others from gaining any clear idea of his
operations. He was a fine speaker, was
twice in the State Senate, one year president
of that body, and once ran for Congress but
was defeated. 1t is understood the estates
will remain virtually intact and the direct
heir, Edward, will, therefore, be by far the
richest young man in Maine, and one Of the
wealthiest in New England. The disposal
Of the body Of Mr.. Blake was as quiet as was
Boston requesting the attendance at the sta
ton in Bangor of the undertaken, was COM
piled with, and on the arrival of the train
the body was taken from it and carried di-